Dunwoody Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Dunwoody, GA

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Georgia

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Dunwoody, Georgia are fairly perplexing, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.

Localities typically divide their jurisdictions into segments, referred to as "zones," on which particular types of use are permitted. For instance, one area of a town might be zoned for residential use, a nearby one for commercial use, and areas on the outskirts zoned for industrial use. This practice is called "zoning."

There are various different reasons that cities might engage in zoning - but it is usually designed around making cities more livable, by preventing conflicting uses from clashing with one another. After all, few people would want to live in a house next to a vacant lot, if there is a chance that somebody could decide to build a pig farm next door. The security provided by zoning laws helps uphold property values

On the other hand, zoning laws recognize and attempt to accommodate the necessity of factories and other industrial activities. They just seek to ensure that such activities are conducted in a way that they don't conflict with the rights of adjacent landowners to use and enjoy their property in peace.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Dunwoody, Georgia

Suppose you find that some condition on your land is in violation of Dunwoody, Georgia's zoning laws. In cases like this, you have quite a few avenues.

Initially, and perhaps most obviously, you can correct the violation. If the violation is comparatively minor, and correcting it would not cost you much or be a significant burden, this might be the best way to go.

But what happens if you've invested a large amount of effort and money into improving your land, and you later discover that you've committed some relatively minor zoning violation? You are generally entitled to seek what is known as a "variance" in these cases. A variance is simply when your local government makes a small exception to the zoning rules to accommodate a small violation that would be difficult to fix. A variance will usually be granted if the violation doesn't harm anyone, and enforcing Dunwoody, Georgia's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.

You are also protected if your land is currently in complete compliance with local zoning regulations, but the area where your land sits is re-zoned, and your property is suddenly not in compliance with the new zoning regulations. Generally, these new regulations cannot be utilized to force you to change existing conditions on your property. No laws can be applied retroactively, under the U.S. Constitution. Of course, if you make any improvements on your land after the law changes, you'll have to comply with the new law.

What Can A Dunwoody, Georgia Attorney Do?

If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, particularly if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to encounter one zoning law issue or another. Of course, having read this article, you should now be aware that you have rights when it comes to contesting a zoning law as applied to you. While such contests do not always come out on the side of the landowner, the assistance of a reputable Dunwoody, Georgia real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.

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Life in Dunwoody

Dunwoody, Georgia is a city located in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. It has a population of about 39,000 people.

Dunwoody, Georgia is a highly affluent community, and is ranked as the third-wealthiest city in Georgia. The city was named for Major Charles Dunwody (the extra "o" in the city's name owing to a misspelling on a bank note).

Dunwoody, Georgia has many historic buildings, including a church that has survived mostly unchanged since 1829, which is still in use today. Furthermore, Dunwoody's first public school, which opened in 1911, was in continuous use until the 1980s.

Dunwoody is generally considered a more upscale community, with a per capita income of over ,000, and a median household income of over ,000. This is likely due to the fact that Dunwoody, Georgia is largely populated by upper-middle-class professionals, who work in nearby Atlanta.

Given the sophisticated clientele of Dunwoody, Georgia, it should come as no surprise that there are some pretty skilled lawyers in the Dunwoody, Georgia area. If you have a legal problem, it's pretty much certain that a Dunwoody, Georgia lawyer can handle it.

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